Explore Featured Degree Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.

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Steps to Becoming a Teacher in South Carolina

Important Note: Education licensure requirements, statistics and other information are subject to change. Teach.com makes its best effort to keep content accurate; however, the official sources are the state education departments. Please confirm licensing requirements with your state before applying for licensure or renewal. (Last update: 10/31/2016)

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Prerequisite Coursework in South Carolina

All states require at least a bachelor’s degree to teach. Some states require additional undergraduate coursework. South Carolina has fairly specific coursework requirements for teachers. Here are a few examples of prerequisite classes for undergraduate teaching majors at the University of South Carolina.

South Carolina Teacher Certification Programs

Teacher Certification Programs can be taken online or on-site. They typically include an educational theory and classroom skills seminar and a fieldwork component of student teaching in the area. A list of approved teacher preparation programs in South Carolina can be found by visiting the South Carolina Department of Education’s Approved Educator Programs page.

Initial Teaching Certifications

To earn your South Carolina teaching credential you will have to complete required the appropriate amount of undergraduate coursework and pass standardized tests, as well participate in as an accredited certification program.

South Carolina issues an initial certificate (valid for 3 years, can be renewed) to beginning teachers. In order to obtain an initial certificate. During that period, a teacher must pass required the appropriate Praxis II PLT exams and participate in the state’s formal teacher evaluation system in order to advance to a professional certificate (renewable every 5 years).

Earn recognition of your ability to develop and deliver a memorable teaching experience when you receive a premier certificate from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX, upon successful course completion.

Alternative Certification in South Carolina

The South Carolina Program of Alternative Certification for Educators provides a route for eligible candidates who have not met regular certification requirements to teach in areas where there is a critical shortage of teachers. Candidates who have at least two years of postsecondary work experience and have obtained employment with a South Carolina public school in a content area with a teacher shortage are issued a one-year Critical Needs Teaching Certificate, which can be renewed twice for a total of three years. They complete periodic training in classroom instruction, complete at least three approved core courses and undergo a period of mentoring and evaluation.

Transferring Your Certification

Certification Reciprocity in South Carolina

Interstate reciprocity is a program that allows teachers who are certified in one state to teach in another. To find out what states have interstate reciprocity with South Carolina, visit the Teach.com reciprocity page. For specific questions about your situation, contact the South Carolina Department of Education.

Jobs, Benefits, and Opportunities for Teachers in South Carolina

South Carolina Teaching Jobs

CERRA runs a Teacher Job Bank which teachers can use to submit a centralized application to a variety of postings. The job bank makes it easy to browse jobs by district, region, and specialty. CERRA also runs the South Carolina Teacher Expo, which can be a useful event for teachers seeking employment.

South Carolina Teacher Salary and Incentives

In South Carolina, teachers with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $50,751 per year in 2013-14, according to the South Carolina Education Association, which is 141% of the state average income. South Carolina provides loan forgiveness for teachers in high needs schools and shortage subjects.

Average final compensation is calculated by taking the average of an individual’s three 3 highest consecutive years of compensation. Teachers at the age of 65 with at least five 5 years of experience, or at age 55 with at least 28 years of experience are eligible for full benefits. Teachers at the age of 60 with at least five 5 years of experience and teachers at the age of 55 with at least 25 years of experience are eligible for reduced benefits.

South Carolina Teacher Shortage Areas

A teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough teachers in key subject areas, which has been partly caused by years of teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, a growing student population and fewer people entering teacher preparation programs, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

The following is a list of teacher shortage areas in South Carolina for the 2016-17 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education (see page 142).

Benefits of a Master's Degree in South Carolina

It is no longer enough for educators to only have years of experience teaching to remain qualified. After No Child Left Behind and other academic quantification measures, teachers are almost entirely being evaluated by their results in the classroom.

A master's degree in the field of education can give you more educational theory and classroom skills, as well as more hands-on student teaching experience with a mentor. After completing a master's program, you will be able to achieve better results in the classroom and have more job security and earn higher pay.

A master’s degree in South Carolina can result in a $4,500 increase in initial salary compared with those who only have a bachelor’s degree. After 10 years of experience, a master’s degree will earn you $5,400 more than a bachelor’s degree.

Explore Featured Program Options in Education

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the USC Rossier School of Education prepares you to become a transformative K–12 teacher. Through live online classes and enriching field experiences in your community, you can earn your MAT in less than 18 months without relocating.

The 8-week Teaching and Learning Strategies for Higher Education online short course is delivered by Harvard’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, in association with HarvardX. Students in this course will engage deeply with the most relevant research on effective teaching methods in the higher education context, while refining their own practices, portfolio, and teaching philosophy.

Vanderbilt University's Peabody College offers an online Master of Education in human development counseling with a specialization in school counseling for students interested in becoming school counselors and making a meaningful difference in K–12 settings.